New fishing product to reduce plastic in our ocean

It is predicted there will be more plastics in the world's oceans than fish by 2050

An innovative new Western Australian product is set to reduce the amount of plastics required for recreational fishing bait, significantly reducing the potential impact on the environment.

Recfishwest, in partnership with Mendolia Seafoods, has developed biodegradable bait boxes that are filled with fish waste that can be used as fish burley or lobster baits. The new bait boxes do not have plastic lining, or any internal plastic bag to contain the frozen bait, like other bait boxes do.

Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly (right) with Julie Drago from Mendolia showing off the new Burley Brick

The bait product itself is made from local fish waste, like sardine by-products, and will result in less fish waste heading to landfill and the new packaging means there is no need to take plastic bags out when fishing.

This is an exciting alternative bait product for the 140,000 Western Australians who fish from a boat each year.

Research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation released in 2016 predicted that by 2050 there would be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans.

Prior to the McGowan Government introducing a plastic bag ban on July 1, 2018, Western Australians used more than 670 million plastic bags a year, with about seven million ending up in the environment as litter.

"With predictions that there is likely to be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by 2050, we need to be doing everything we can to reduce our use of plastic.

"This new biodegradable fishing option has the potential to reduce hundreds of thousands of plastic bait bags coming into contact with our aquatic environment.

"Each year Western Australians make about 400,000 boat trips for recreational fishing. If these fishers think about reducing plastic bag use for bait or opt to buy one of these plastic-free bricks, there is the potential to significantly reduce the amount of plastic on board boats.

"Fishers can either place the bait box filled directly into the bait basket of a lobster pot or use the contents of the box as fish burley.

"An added bonus of this WA product is that it uses WA fish waste, which could help minimise biosecurity concerns surrounding current international and national bait products.

"I congratulate Recfishwest and Mendolia Seafoods for developing this positive new product."

Disclaimer

The information and advice provided by the Department of Fisheries website is made in good faith and is from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of release onto the website. Changes in circumstances after a document is placed on the website may affect the accuracy of the information. Full disclaimer details are available at www.fish.wa.gov.au.